King of Gwynedd Maelgwn (The Tall) Gwynedd ap Cadwallon

• General Notes
  • The historical Maelgwn king of Gwynedd and one of the most influential rulers of 6th century Britain. He became one of the most famous (or infamous) leaders in Welsh history. He is one of five British kings castigated for their sins by the contemporary Christian writer Gildas (who referred to him as Malgocunus, meaning 'Great Hound') in De Excidio Britanniae. Maelgwn, described as "the island dragon", possibly a reference to his power base on Anglesey, is the most powerful of the five kings "... you the last I write of but the first and greatest in evil, more than many in ability but also in malice, more generous in giving but also more liberal in sin, strong in war but stronger to destroy your soul ...".
    
    Gildas accuses Maelgwn of having driven his uncle from power by force 'while still a youth. He then, says Gildas, repented of his sins and vowed to become a monk, but his repentance did not last and he returned to his previous ways. He is accused of having murdered his wife and his nephew in order to be able to marry his nephew's widow.
    He was also said to be a great patron of the arts and a skilled lawgiver, although some attribute this reputation to Maelgwn's own propaganda. He established court at Deganwy, and surrounded himself with an entourage of bards and artisans who wrote glowingly of his achievements. Gildas takes a dim view of this, accusing him of listening to his own praise instead of praising God. By the time of his death, Maelgwn had established himself as the preeminent ruler of the region, and his sons Rhun and Brude would inherit control over both Gwynedd and the lands of the Picts in southern Britain. He is recorded in the Annales Cambriae as dying in the "yellow plague" of 547.
    (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)